 Strategies for Practicing Memory Retrieval by Academy of Learning Career College Retrieval is the process of taking information out of long-term memory and into our conscious working memory so we can change our behavior. Learning strategies that help learners practice retrieving information from long-term memory are most effective. The easiest way to do this is to take practice exams. If learners do not have practice exams, comprehension tests, or lab questions, they can make their own up. Creating one's own questions is a great way to further encode information by restructuring the information and rewriting it in one's own words. Some research suggests that materials, like test questions that are created by the learner, can be more effective than those provided by instructors, though other research suggests that instructor-generated practice tests may be more effective, or that either kind is equally effective. If instructors provide practice questions, it may be most effective for learners to use these practice questions rather than creating their own. However, if questions are not provided, then it may be beneficial for the learner to generate questions for self-testing. Further, when practice for different concepts is spread out over time, learning is more effective. This is because when the connections in the brain for retrieving information have just been activated, it is easier to reactivate them right away. To make the activation stronger, it is best to reactivate after a break. As a strategy, this is referred to as spaced practice. One way learners might incorporate this strategy in their studies is to do a course review at the end of their session every day, covering concepts from day one through today. A final strategy for retrieval is the concept of interleaved practice. Interleaved practice refers to interspersing different concepts when studying as opposed to doing it in blocks. An example of blocked practice would be doing four practice activities on formatting dates, then four activities on sorting data, then four activities on alternating views in Microsoft Excel. Using the same situation, interleaved practice would be where the learner cycles through one activity on formatting dates, one on sorting data, and one on alternating views until four activities of each are complete. Interleaving can create more effective retrieval paths in the brain, and this strategy can be easily implemented in most study situations.